Description
A man who sent sexually explicit messages to children online has been jailed.
Stephen Blackwell began messaging one girl on Tiktok when she was just 10. He initially told her he was a 17-year-old boy who lived in London before admitting he had lied about his age. He repeatedly sent her photos and videos and asked her to send him images in return.
The matter came to light after the girl’s mum found the messages on her phone and contacted police.
Blackwell was arrested in connection with the incident and released on bail while investigations continued.
While on bail, he also began messaging accounts he believed belonged to 14-year-old girls. However, these accounts were all actually decoy accounts run by an online child activist group.
Blackwell sent numerous videos showing him performing sex acts on himself, and also asked the girls to carry out acts on themselves.
The 46-year-old, of Matlock, was arrested and subsequently charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, causing a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity and attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity.
He denied the offences but was found guilty after a trial at Derby Crown Court.
He appeared at the same court for sentencing on 16 August when he was jailed for 11 years and three months with the judge handing him an extended sentence to recognise the danger he posed.
He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the sex offenders register.